Celebrating World Book Day At Jua Hotel In Bamenda
Books of various genres were
yesterday displayed at the Conference hall of Jua Hotel, capital of the North
West Region of Cameroon to commemorate the 18th World Book Day. The
Minister of Arts and Culture was represented at the occasion by the Regional
Delegate of Arts and Culture for the North West Region who stressed the
importance of books to human development. The occasion which started with a
word of prayer from Dr. Gladys Ngwi Anyangwe Focho had Mr. Felix Che Tumanjo as Master of
Ceremony. The MC congratulated writers for having turned out massively to
celebrate World Book Day. After acknowledging all present, he gave the floor to
the Regional Delegate of Arts and Culture who presented his speech which was
followed by various presentations. In his speech, he thanked Anglophone Cameroon Writers’ Association
(ACWA) Bamenda Branch for the organization of the event. He revealed that
World Book Day is a yearly event celebrated every 23rd April
instituted by UNESCO and was first celebrated in 1995 in honour of the birth
and death of William Shakespeare and other prolific writers.
The first presentation titled An African Writer In A Global Village at the symposium came
from Dr. Gilian Ngala of the University of Bamenda. He said African cultures
have been absorbed by osmosis in globalization and only African writers can
preserve this culture in books. He said ideal writers write ideal books and
those are the types of books we have come out to celebrate. The African truth
shall no longer be told in orality but in books.
Also, Mr. Akongoh Innocent Ngwa
presented a discourse under the auspices of ACWA on the theme The Treasure In Books in which he observed
that through books readers become leaders. He again stressed out that nations
emerge from books. In his discourse he presumed participants were familiar with
the adage: “silver and gold shall perish but knowledge alone, which comes from
books will remain”. He further reminded participants that an individual’s
success story begins with the reading of good books. Quoting Praise George in
his book titled: Why Are You Not Rich, he
assured participants that books are secret of financial success. “Let me ask
you, how many books on money do you have in your library? How many books on
financial success have you read this year?” says Praise George. Harping on
Praise George he said the more books you read, the smarter you become
financially and through books readers become leaders.
A short drama from Noble theatre Arts Group about reading and writing identified honesty as the first
chapter of the book of wisdom entertained participants and thrilled the
occasion. The Arts group also invited participants to their Grand Fundraising
due to take place next Saturday at Ideal Park Hotel.
Conspicuously present was Dr. Magdalene Shiri Halle Awa who presented a discourse from her book on HIV/AIDS then Mrs
Anguh Bright also made her discourse with her novel titled Mourning Africa due to be launched on Saturday the 2nd
of May at 3:00pm at St. Louis University Institute Bamenda.
Honourable Tasi Ntang presented a
poem titled Danger In Anger after
acting a marriage drama with Dr. Gladys Ngwi Anyangwe Focho.
The poem which ended thus “Infact
if I could be born and breadth in the furrow, I had such a strong ego to many
places I could go, and be a hero but I preferred to remain in Soweto and never
to return to Moscow” by Mr. Kwetatang Sampson of the Writers’ Resource and
Information Centre Bamenda kept participants cheering as it exposed the current
xenophobia in South Africa.
Madam
Susan Nkwentie Nde presented her poem
‘Next Door Neighbour’ , Dugar Charles Fofung ‘Oh my Beloved Bamenda’, Mrs
Lola Perpetua ‘The Lock On My Lips’
and the presentations were rounded by Mr.
Tah Richard Ndey with his poem: To Dad, Feeling The Flame and another of his famous poems.
The Regional Delegate then declared the occasion closed.
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